1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote control measuring system suitable for remote-controlling a three-dimensional measuring apparatus or the like.
2. Prior Art
As an offline teaching supporting system that generates a part program that defines a measurement procedure of a numerically controllable three-dimensional measuring apparatus, a CAT (Computer Aided Testing) system is known. The CAT system automatically generates a measurement and operation procedure of a three-dimensional measuring apparatus corresponding to CAD (Computer Aided Design) data of a measurement object. With the CAT system, even inexperienced operators can effectively generate part programs. In addition, with the CAT system, the operation efficiency of the three-dimensional measuring apparatus can be prevented from decreasing.
However, in the conventional CAT system, unless a part program is temporarily stored as a file, the part program cannot be used. Moreover, in the offline teaching mode, the three-dimensional measuring apparatus should be driven and controlled program by program. Thus, if an error takes place in the three-dimensional measuring apparatus that is operating, the measurement of the apparatus cannot be continued. Furthermore, in the operation of the three-dimensional measuring apparatus, the content of the measurement procedure cannot be changed.
Moreover, even if a measurement procedure has only several measurement points, a part program file should be generated. Thus, the operation of the CAT system is troublesome. Furthermore, unless a measured result is converted into a file, it cannot be fed back to the CAT system.
When a three-dimensional measuring apparatus disposed in a measuring room whose inner temperature is strictly controlled is remote-controlled from another operating room, special-purpose cables should be connected from a numeric control apparatus of the three-dimensional measuring apparatus to a host computer and an operating panel disposed in the operating room. Data should be transmitted at a high transmission rate between the control apparatus and the host computer. In addition, many signals should be exchanged. Thus, the number and/or radius of cables connected between the control apparatus and the host computer becomes large. When the cables are extended from the measuring room to the operating room, the cable connections become complicated. Moreover, to prevent the cables from being affected by noise and signal attenuations, the lengths of the cables should not exceed several meters. Conventionally, the remote control is limited for a very short distance between two adjacent rooms.